Sunday, August 11, 2013

Chika Ike: “I Left My Marriage because I was a Victim of Domestic Violence” | Nollywood Actress shares Story of Physical Assault

Here you have it world, Chika Ike is sharing one of the main reasons she divorced her husband.

Last month, the 27 year old Nollywood
actress announced that her divorce is finalised. Ever since her
separation, she has received lots of backlash on social media on her
failed marriage – from speculation that “she was not a loyal wife” to
rumours that “she got married for money”.

Single, happy and living life to the
fullest now, she shares the reason why she filed for divorce. Her
husband, known as Mr Eberibi physically assaulted her for years. One of
the many fights resulted in a miscarriage.

Read Chika Ike’s Heartbreaking story;

The past three years has been a very emotional period for me, I focused my energy on work and to build back my self esteem.

It’s been really hard for me to
come out straight and talk about this because sometimes, I pinch myself
to wake up and not believe that I was a victim of domestic violence.
I’ve been through a lot in my life, faced a lot of challenges but this
is one topic I’ve tried so hard to avoid and have been waiting for the
right time but I have come to a resolve that there’s really no right
time because every second of the day, lives are being lost due to
domestic violence.

I was a victim of domestic violence in my marriage and that was the singular reason I left my marriage, aside other reasons.

Growing up as a girl, I was always
known as the sweetest kid on the block, before I got married, I have
been through some relationships and for once no man had ever laid a
finger on me. The first time it happened in my marriage I didn’t
understand it because I am not the type of woman a man beats but I
guess there are no types.

It just happens and no woman
deserves it. As a young girl I thought it was love or his way of
expressing his emotions,after every beating he pleads , cries and says
it won’t happen again, once again I thought it was love and made
excuses for him.

Over the years when it kept
happening consistently, I started looking for other definitions for it.
I started loosing my self pride, self esteem, self worth, and most
painfully I lost a pregnancy (Miscarriage). I almost lost my life in
the process then I realised how serious and abnormal it really was.

I have heard and read a lot of
accusations from ignorant people who don’t know my story, I guess
that’s why they are ignorant. I was 20 yrs old and very naive to the
world when I got married . “They said I married for money” LOL. I was
married to a corporate guy, who had a 9 to 5 job in a bank, lives in a
rented 2 bedroom apartment at Egbe.

So do the math! I married for love.
I did a traditional wedding. A white wedding and a court wedding. So
that’s how much I wanted to be married forever. For five years I hoped,
prayed & wished that one day it will all change. But the last straw
that broke the carmel’s back was during a heated argument he threw a
glass jug to my face and I dogged it and it shattered on d wall.

I saw death flash before me and I made a decision to save my life. I left my marriage.

I am not saying this to draw pity
from anyone because we are entitled to our opinions and believes.i am
not also saying this to discourage people from falling in love because
it’s a beautiful feeling and I still believe in it.

I am saying this to educate, share and talk about my experience as a victim of domestic violence because it is real.